Greening the Economy

The outcome of the Copenhagen climate conference will be discussed for years to come. While European governments are frustrated and disappointed, most climate advocates in the United States define Copenhagen as a success. Why is it Swing time in the US and Europe plays the climate Blues?

Since the inauguration of Barack Obama, the US-Administration is accelerating climate protection efforts. However, obstacles in both chambers of Congress delay these efforts. The authors review recent achievements in US-climate legislation, provide an outlook on the probable US position in the upcoming Copenhagen conference and explain what this implies for viable strategies for European and other countries. read more (in GERMAN ONLY)»

Two major global challenges - the financial crisis and climate change - make it urgent to rally the world behind the idea of a “green new deal” or a “global green recovery.” To help G20 nations overcome these challenges, the Federal Foreign Office asked Atlantic Initiative to develop specific and actionable policy recommendations on how to provide effective international support to green technology markets and push the issue in the G20 framework.

The grave financial and economic crisis that broke into full view in the fall of 2008 has dominated headlines and politics. The imagery of a Green New Deal is important in that it suggests an ambitious approach predicated on the need for strong government action and a decisive break with old policies.

The dramatic convergence of multiple crises — global warming, hunger and depletion of natural resources such as water - compels us to challenge the dominant industrial agriculture model and consider a new way forward.

Böll Magazine 2/2009

The automotive industry is not only suffering from the economic downturn, it has also been in a structural crisis for some time.

Urban Futures pursues two corresponding ideas: The first objective is to deepen the transnational dialog over the role of cities in solving the climate crisis. The second objective is to collect visions and models of sustainable architecture and urban planning and present them to a broader public.

The publication is a combination of two papers: the first written by Wilson Rickerson and others providing an overview of the current US situation on renewable heating and cooling, and the second written by Uwe Leprich and others providing a detailed look at the German support mechanisms for renewable heating and cooling policy in Germany.

Working Group on Development and the Environment in the Americas